


For the Sake of the Mission

by mariana_oconnor



Series: Tumblr fic [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Get Together, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Undercover Missions, We Have to Kiss So That They Don't Notice Us, trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-24 10:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13808964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariana_oconnor/pseuds/mariana_oconnor
Summary: Clint almost gets spotted on a surveillance mission, it's up to Bucky to pull his ass out of the fire.





	For the Sake of the Mission

**Author's Note:**

> Written on Tumblr based on [this post](https://illuminosity.tumblr.com/post/158826729504/my-favorite-trope-is-the-we-have-to-kiss-in-order).

Shit. Clint knows that woman. Worse: that woman knows Clint. On sight. And he’s sitting in full view right now, on a park bench, drinking his coffee and pretending to make polite conversation with Bucky.

Of all the bad guys in all the world, it had to be her.

A SHIELD mission five years ago which had ended less than successfully, with the smell of rotting flesh and blood clinging to Clint’s nostrils. Janne Lund is not someone Clint ever wanted to see again. There aren’t many missions he looks back on with more disgust.

If she sees him, the game’s blown.

_“Clint_ ,” Natasha says in his ear. He knows, Nat knows. They’re screwed. What are they going to do? If Clint moves now, he might draw Janne’s attention. If he stays where he is, she’ll see him when she turns. He can’t see a way of getting out of here without letting the Butcher of Oslo see him, and if she sees him then the hostages are as good as dead.

He turns away from her as much as he can, towards Bucky, who’s assessing the situation carefully, his eyes a little narrow, even as his entire frame still looks as relaxed as a casual coffee drinker in the park should look. Clint knows that he’s not telepathic, but he can hope some semblance of meaning comes across from his face:

_Help_.

Bucky nods so slightly it’s almost imperceptible. Maybe he doesn’t nod at all, maybe Clint’s imagining things. But then Bucky’s hand’s coming up, and a slow, gentle smile is spreading across his face. It’s part of the role, part of the part he’s playing, Clint knows that, he does know that. But he can’t help the squirm of his insides at having that look directed at him, so kind, so gentle, like there’s nowhere Bucky would rather be – and that’s definitely not true because this bench is fucking uncomfortable, Clint’s ass is going numb – and there’s no one he’d rather be there with – which can’t be true, because Clint’s still only half caffeinated and he’s got stains on his shirt and he’s terrible company. But still Bucky’s hand comes up to cup Clint’s face. Conveniently blocking it from Janne’s view, Clint notices, and he brings their faces close together.

“I got you,” Bucky says, so quietly the words are almost just air brushing against Clint’s lips.

Clint has a moment to prepare himself, but mostly he just gapes. Eyes caught on Bucky’s face, which is blurring out of focus as he draws closer and closer. Shit, is time moving more slowly? Is that really his own heartbeat Clint can feel in his ears.

The first brush of lips is almost cautious, like Bucky’s not used to this. Maybe he isn’t. Maybe Bucky’s wasting his first kiss in 70 years on saving Clint fucking Barton’s bacon. But he doesn’t stop. Clint makes a noise, it’s a little surprise, a little confusion and a little bit turned on, because he’s an equal opportunities ogler and it’s not like Bucky Barnes is hard on the eyes.

He doesn’t know what to do. If it were Nat, they’ve done this before, they have a way of making it work without being awkward. But Bucky…

Fuck it. He’s gonna kiss the bastard back. If this is the only chance he gets, he’s going to make the most of it. The man kissed him. It’s not like Clint’s taking advantage really.

It’s… well. Clint’s kissed a few people. More than a volleyball team, less than a battalion. He’s had some good kisses, some bad kisses, some brutal, bleeding, angry kisses. He’s even had a couple of salty, tear stained goodbye kisses.

And on the entire spectrum of kisses in his life, Bucky Barnes is pretty high up there.

The curl in Clint’s gut as Bucky’s tongue darts out into his mouth, pushes it right up the rankings.

Fuck, but this is… it feels  _exciting_. Maybe it’s the adrenaline pumping through his system. Maybe it’s because it’s Bucky, because Clint likes him, probably more than he should. Maybe it’s just because Bucky really is damn good at this, but Clint sinks into it, bringing his own hand up to rest on Bucky’s shoulder, the metal one, hard and unyielding, and he feels a familiar arm curl around his waist to bring him closer.

Okay, Clint’s brain’s getting in on the act now, because yes. He’s never thought about this before. But he’s not sure how much of that is just him being oblivious. Now he’s started kissing Bucky, he never wants to stop. He could stay here for the next few hours quite happily, just making out with the guy. It’s like he’s been deliberately ignoring the possibilities here, thinking of other things. Bucky’s always been shoved in a box marked ‘bad idea’, but now, with his tongue in Clint’s mouth, he doesn’t seem like such a bad idea at all.

He has no idea how much time has passed. He feels like they’ve been kissing for hours, and he feels like they only just started. His hands have found the line of flesh just under the hem of Bucky’s shirt, and he’s actually breathing in deeply through his nose just to get the scent of the man. Is that weird? That’s probably weird. He tries to pull back, but Bucky’s still holding his firm and it takes Clint a second to remember that this is cover.

_“She left five minutes ago, by the way,_ ” Natasha says over the comms.  _“But please, take your time.”_

Clint might have thought they’d pull apart, fast, embarrassed, but they don’t. It’s slow, lingering. Bucky draws back, pulling their lips gently apart, until Clint can feel his face buzzing with it all. He darts forward to just put one more kiss on Bucky’s lips, which are a little swollen. Bucky’s smile is still there, still gentle, but now a bit abashed. There’s a faint dusting of read over his cheeks, but he doesn’t look embarrassed – more intense, like he’s thinking about other things. Which pulls Clint’s mind to other things too, and he feels his own smile take on a bit more of a leer.

“Well that…” he says.

“I think that went well,” Bucky says. He grins too.

_“Is this like a thing? Did we miss this being a thing? Because I think we should be consulted when-“_  Tony says on the comms.

“It wasn’t a thing,” Bucky says.

“I think maybe it is now, though,” Clint adds. Bucky stands up and holds out his hand, like a fucking gentleman or something, to help Clint up. Clint blinks at it, before taking it with the exaggerated care of a complete asshole (because he’s not going to pretend to be something he isn’t).

“We done here?” Bucky asks.

“ _You’re done,_ ” Natasha says. “ _Hawkeye’s past with the subject means he should be staying as far away as possible from this one_.” Clint winces, because he’d almost forgotten about Janne.

“I guess I’d better keep him occupied, then,” Bucky says. He’s got this little smirk on his face as he looks back at Clint, one that promises all sorts of things.

Clint just manages to resist punching the air in triumph, but it’s a close thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](https://mariana-oconnor.tumblr.com/post/165576243681/illuminosity-my-favorite-trope-is-the-we-have-to).


End file.
